Funny you say the word "nutshell" because I've heard something about a squirrel baby ...Mmmhmmm ... I've made myself a squirrel child out of squirrel bones and some kind of fur and little button eyes. He's real cute.

Obviously you can't just disappear with your father in that cabin for a full season and not have repercussions, so is this what's happened?Yeah, she's been three years, living on her own, making her own housing and food and protecting herself. The only person she's had contact with as a friend is Locke -- who's not really Locke anymore. So any information that she's been given about what's going on with other people or the Island is from him. And there are maybe some things that are not the whole truth. He's led her to believe that the Others have her baby at the Temple, so that's been her whole plan this last three years, to get him back. Finding out that he's off the Island and Kate is bringing him up is just like a complete, complete shock to her. So there's an interesting relationship with Claire and Kate now -- a combination of animosity, to say the least, and also respect and thanks. So that's been fun playing with.

So since you're the one playing it, do you think there's a way she can snap out of it? Or will Claire just end up on the Island still crazy?I mean, the evolution this season for her character is sort of coming back to who Claire was. You know, she's still there, underneath it all, even though she's pretty damn loopy. There's still flickers of who Claire is and was, and maybe will be again. Or not.